Fake Google Voice verification code hijacking scam — scammer posing as buyer, renter, or employer asks victim to share a "verification code" sent to their phone; code is actually a Google Voice setup code or 2FA token that gives the scammer control of the victim's phone number or linked accounts

Social engineering emails — commonly forwarded by Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace — where a scammer posing as a buyer, renter, job recruiter, or other interested party asks the victim to share a "6-digit verification code" that the scammer claims to have sent to the victim's phone number. The code is not a verification code from the scammer — it is a Google Voice service setup code (or another 2FA code) that the scammer has triggered by attempting to register the victim's phone number as a Google Voice number. Sharing the code transfers control of the victim's phone number to the scammer's Google Voice account, enabling the scammer to impersonate the victim, receive calls and texts intended for the victim, and bypass two-factor authentication on other accounts. Key facts: (1) FTC advisory (2022, updated 2024): Google Voice scams are the #1 account takeover technique on classified ad platforms, with 1 in 3 Craigslist scam reports involving a "code verification" request; (2) Real buyers, renters, and employers NEVER need to verify a seller's, landlord's, or candidate's identity via a phone code — this request has no legitimate use case; (3) Google Voice setup codes always come from 6-digit number "22000" via SMS and should NEVER be shared with anyone; (4) Once the scammer controls the Google Voice number, they can immediately use it to run the same scam on other victims, creating a chain of fraud. Warning signs: any request to share a verification code received via SMS, "just for verification" framing, buyer/employer you've never interacted with before.